Browns selected for “Hard Knocks”

With one victory in the past two seasons, it has been a hard knock life for the Browns.

This summer, it will be a “Hard Knocks” life in Cleveland. HBO’s training camp documentary will track the fortunes of head coach Hue Jackson and the Browns in August. The series will debut Tuesday, Aug. 7 (10-11:00 p.m. ET/PT).

“I’ve been a part of Hard Knocks and when you experience it first hand, you come to appreciate the inside look it really gives fans,” Jackson said in a team-issued release. “We are excited about what we are building within our organization and feel good about the progress we have made this offseason. Being able to bring our fans in so they can get to know our players and our organization in a different way will be a huge positive for us. I want people to see how much our players and coaches care, how hard they work and how badly they want to win for Cleveland. This will be a great opportunity for our team.”

HBO selected the Browns, who haven’t been to the playoffs since 2002, just weeks after Cleveland made its latest attempt to secure a franchise quarterback. The Browns selected Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and will place the Oklahoma product in competition with Tyrod Taylor, who was acquired from the Buffalo Bills this offseason.

General manager John Dorsey overhauled the Cleveland roster in the offseason and isn’t bashful about his expectations for the team.

He made deals for Taylor, wide receiver Jarvis Landry and dealt away all three holdover quarterbacks on the roster.

Dorsey said last month the Browns saw no merit in being part of the documentary series.

“Like many, I was reluctant about being the featured team on Hard Knocks but once we sat down and talked about it as an organization, I feel a lot better and understand why the time is right,” Dorsey said. “Hue and I both feel like this team is in a good place and that we are in the process of building something that will lead to success. Being a part of Hard Knocks will give our fans the opportunity to see how passionate the people in our building are about winning and how excited we are about getting to work and preparing for the 2018 season.”

In 2017, “Hard Knocks” was in Tampa Bay with the Buccaneers and two years ago, HBO tracked the Rams in their first year in Los Angeles.